


Hot Chocolate and Snow Angels

by dreamer_98



Category: Primeval
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 06:52:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/607032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamer_98/pseuds/dreamer_98
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt and Emily stay in together during a snowstorm.  Set post series 5.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hot Chocolate and Snow Angels

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Darkhorse99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkhorse99/gifts).



> Written for primeval_denial Secret Santa 2012, using the prompts "a roaring fireplace" and "cuddling together under the blankets."
> 
> Information about the history of hot chocolate came from [this webpage](http://web.archive.org/web/20071027022427/http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_chocolate/drinking_chocolate.htm).
> 
> Much thanks to **clea2011** for the beta and for her helpful [meta on Matt's flat](http://clea2011.livejournal.com/29340.html).

Winter had come early.

What began as a typical frosty morning turned into light snow by midday, falling heavier as the hours passed. The weather reports were calling for around ten inches overnight. Sensing his staff growing anxious about getting home safely, Lester reluctantly let them off early that evening, but not without an order for the field team to take their comms and black boxes with them. They could only hope that no anomalies would open overnight and they could avoid chasing down creatures through the ice and snow.

Matt knew that Emily was staying at Jess's flat for the time being, but with Connor and Abby in the guest bedroom, he figured that their living quarters were getting a bit cramped. He extended an invitation for her to stay at his place until the storm subsided, which Emily gratefully accepted.

No sooner had they come up the stairs than Matt went to start up the fireplace while Emily bundled herself in a blanket on the bed. As Matt tended to the fire, Emily observed her surroundings. "This place hasn't changed much since I was last here."

"Yeah, haven't really had time to hire a decorator." Matt stood and made his way over to the kitchen island. "Can I get you anything?" he asked. "Tea, coffee, hot chocolate?"

A smile spread across Emily's lips. "Hot chocolate would be lovely. I haven't had any since I was a girl."

"Coming right up!" Matt called as he put the kettle on.

"My grandfather would take my sister and I to a shop in Birmingham and get it for us as a treat," she continued. "It was so exciting at the time."

"Well don't get too excited over this. All I have is the cheap powder mix." He soon brought over two cups, handing one to his guest as he sat beside her.

Emily slowly sipped her drink, closing her eyes and savoring the warmth.

"How is it?"

She wrinkled her nose. "It isn't quite like I remembered, but I'm enjoying it. Thank you."

The two continued to sip their beverages in silence, facing the window to watch as the snow fell. It was as if they were peeking into a life-sized snow globe.

Emily noticed Matt had draped the bed's sheets over his legs. "How rude of me to be using up the entire blanket," she reprimanded herself.

"You're fine," he assured her. "This place can get pretty chilly, especially when it's like this outside."

Emily smiled, with the slightest glint in her eye. "We would both be much warmer if we shared the blanket."

Matt raised his eyebrows, half-surprised and half-amused. "Are you suggesting what I think you are?"

She laughed. "Oh come on Matt. We're adults. I trust you won't do anything a gentleman wouldn't."

Matt relented, motioning her to move closer. They lay down on the bed and wrapped the blanket snug around themselves, Emily resting her head on Matt's chest.

"Better?"

She smiled as she snuggled closer. "Much."

Nothing could be heard for the next few minutes but crackling from the fire. Emily peered up at Matt, who seemed to be in deep contemplation. "What are you thinking?"

"Everyone else in the city must hate this weather right now," he said softly. "I may be the only one who thinks it's beautiful."

Emily smiled. "I always loved playing in the snow as a child. Making snow angels, building snowmen. My mother would make a fuss if we were out for too long, fretting that we'd catch a cold. There was something magical about seeing all the buildings and streets covered in white."

"When I first learned about snow, I didn't believe it," Matt recalled. "All I'd known my whole life was an earth so arid and putrid that it was a miracle to get clean drinking water; I couldn't imagine it just falling out of the sky. Then I came here and saw it with my own eyes. Everything seems so pristine, so pure. It makes what I came to do that much more meaningful. I want to help save this beautiful world, preserve it for future generations."

"And you've done just that. You stopped Philip and destroyed his anomaly," Emily reminded him, but he continued to look solemn.

"We may have stopped convergence, but that doesn't mean the devastation won't still happen."

"Do you think something else will cause it?" she asked.

"I don't know, but I have to be sure. My father gave his life to preventing our future from happening. Now that he's gone, it's my responsibility to stop it."

Emily sat up while maintaining eye contact with him. "It's not just your responsibility anymore. You have me, you have the team, you have the ARC. We're all going to do whatever we can to save the future."

Matt sighed. "I know that. I just feel like my whole life hinges on the success or failure of this mission." He paused, adding quietly, "And if I do succeed, I may cease to exist."

Emily took his hand in both of hers. "If I hadn't come back here, I would have spent the rest of my life in bedlam, or worse. Everything I've been through in the past few years has taught me to live in the moment. No one knows what's going to happen, but that shouldn't prevent us from cherishing what we have right now." She turned to face the window. "Neither of us is supposed to be here, yet here we are, witnessing this beautiful sight. We've been given a gift, and I don't want to waste time dwelling on what might have been or what might be. I just want to be here, in the present."

There was silence as Matt sat up beside her. "You're right," he said softly. Emily gave him a small smile. "As much as I hate to admit it," he added cheekily, which earned him a playful swat. "You're always right."

He gently lifted his hand underneath her chin, his thumb caressing her cheek. She slowly tilted her head forward to meet his lips. They leaned back on the bed as the kiss deepened, his body pressing close against hers. It took what little functioning brain cells Matt had left to process what was happening and break contact.

"I'm sorry," he breathed.

"There's no need to apologize," Emily said, her face flushed and eyes bright.

"That wasn't a very gentlemanly thing to do," he reprimanded himself as he sat up.

"Matt, it's fine, really," she assured him. "I admit that I'm still getting accustomed to modern courtship rituals, but I know that you would never push me to do something I'm not comfortable with. I feel safe with you."

Matt smiled. They exchanged a lingering look before he cleared his throat. "We should probably turn in for the night."

"Actually," Emily interjected, "I'd like nothing more than to stay here with you, if that's all right."

Matt nodded. "Of course." They lay back down together as he covered them with the blanket. Emily closed her eyes as she snuggled against him, relishing the sounds of his breathing and the soft thudding of his heartbeat.

The storm had stopped when they awoke in the morning, the city covered in a blanket of white. Matt and Emily decided to make the most of it, bundling themselves up before heading out to brave the cold. They had a snowball fight (with Emily emerging as the clear victor) and made snow angels. When they could barely feel their toes, they returned inside to warm themselves by the fire and drink hot chocolate. They spent the rest of the day recalling amusing incidents at the ARC and simply enjoying each other's company.

Neither of them had expected to end up in this time and place, and they couldn't begin to predict what the future might hold for them. All they knew was that there was nowhere else they'd rather be than in the present moment, together.


End file.
